In the related art, a binding machine for gardening is used for guiding/binding work at the time of cultivation of agricultural crops. Specifically, the binding machine for gardening is used to bind plant vines and stems to poles or nets in cultivation of agricultural crops such as cucumbers, grapes, or tomatoes.
For example, this type of binding machine for gardening includes a main handle capable of drawing out a tape from a front end portion and a clincher arm rotatable with respect to the main handle. When an operation handle of the binding machine for gardening is lightly gripped, the clincher arm rotates in a closing direction with respect to the main handle, and a tape gripping device provided at a front end portion of the clincher arm grips the tape drawn out from the front end portion of the main handle. When the squeezing of the handle is released in this state, the clincher arm rotates in an opening direction with respect to the main handle, and the tape is drawn out. When the tape is drawn out and the tape is stretched between the clincher arm and the main handle, the agricultural crops and poles are pressed against the drawn-out tape, and the agricultural crops and the poles are inserted between the clincher arm and the main handle. When the handle is further gripped again in this state, the clincher arm rotates in the closing direction with respect to the main handle, and a tape loop is formed. When the handle is further gripped, both ends of the tape loop are bound by a staple, the ends of the tape loop are cut by a cutter, and thus the binding is completed.
In such a binding machine for gardening, a traction needle of a tape gripping device is necessary to stand by in a state of being released from a tape at the time of a standby in which a handle is not gripped. Accordingly, the tape gripping device includes a lock member that is engaged with the traction needle to control the movement of the traction needle in order to bring the traction needle into the standby state. The lock member is adapted to operate in conjunction with a squeezing operation of an operation handle.
For example, as disclosed in JP-A-2004-224412 (FIG. 2 and the like), a tape gripping device of a binding machine for gardening according to the related art is configured to control rocking of a traction needle of the tape gripping device in such a manner that three sheet metal members slide in a state of being overlapped and to realize an operation of gripping a tape.